Adkins. Vegan. Raw foods. South Beach. Ornish. Ayurveda. Zone. Nourishing Traditions. Candida diet. OH MY GOD. What is a person to do? Low-carb? High-carb? Low-fat? High-fat? A combination? Sometimes it feels as if jumping out the window would be an easier proposition. Ok, let me start off by saying all of these diets have some credibility and every single one will work for some people. Probably all of them will work for everyone for all least for a short period of time. But these (and all) diets are almost always completely the opposite of what a person had been eating (hence the probability toward weight loss–or weight gain, if that is what is needed in the situation). And because our brains are wired to maintain homeostasis–due to a little something we like to call “habits”–completely changing the way you eat can work for a little while, but soon enough your body is going to pull you back to the old way of doing things.

Ayurveda, which means the science of life, is a comprehensive medical system that has been the traditional system of healthcare in India for more than five-thousand years. It is also considered by many to be the origin of medicine. Ayur means life and Veda means science. The principal focus of Ayurveda is maintaining good health and adopting a healthy way of living. It uses a holistic approach to health, which means that not only is the body treated as a single unit, but other aspects of our lives are taken into consideration, such as our social, cultural as well as our spiritual environment.

This week, an article I wrote for Brave New Traveler a few months ago charging United Airlines with fatism, showed on up on ‘The Colbert Report.’ Seems the fatism (or “weightism,” as Colbert trademarks during the episode) debate is all the rage these days, what with babies being turned down for health insurance and models getting fired for being too fat. As usual, Colbert rages against the injustices of “Big Government,” this time for trying to slim down the US population. I definitely chuckled uncontrollably during this segment, but am thankful that he had a Professor as a guest who makes it clear that being large does not equate being unhealthy.

I applaud Geneveve Levin for her candid and reflective essay about her experience with a married man in an open relationship. In this case, my husband. To continue the conversation she initiated, I thought I would pipe in. I am glad she wrote about her experience–she is right that this can be a sensitive topic, but it is a great one to give more breathing room to. What I have found being in an open relationship is that folks are curious about it, occasionally inspired, sometimes threatened, and at times, slightly baffled. I am neither proselytizer nor sage, just a woman who prefers to do things in a way that makes sense to me. For me and Ryan, this manifests in the freedom to be enriched by human connection and intimacy in all forms.

For thousands of centuries, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been treating illness and misalignments using many of the common everyday spices found in most common kitchens. This healing art uses different modalities to treat the body, such as acupuncture, acupressure, and herbs. Some medicinal uses of common spices include using cinnamon as a blood circulation stimulater, cloves to increase sexual potency, turmeric to help dissolve tumors, and ginger to calm indigestion. Within the last decade, acupuncture has become a booming business. With 3.1 million adults and 150,000 children choosing acupuncture as a form of treatment for illness or prevention, it has become more acceptable in medical practices.

I broke the cardinal rule: I had a one-night stand with a married man. Thing is, there weren’t really any rules to break. Side note–I have no doubt that this piece will rub some people the wrong way, that they will be unable to see the why or the how, instead only seeing the what. I understand this perspective. But while there are parts that are very personal, this is about something much bigger than me, and in a way, is a question we all must face at some point in our lives–End note. So yes, I had a one-night stand with a married man. But it wasn’t a one-night stand in the traditional sense.

A big premiere, that I’m sad to have missed, happened in my old hood last week: Matador Goods contributor Austin Chu’s movie, The Recess Ends, made its way onto the big screen at the Victoria Theater in the Mission district (I used to live 2 blocks away). The film chronicles how the recession/depression has affected people all over the US, as Austin and his brother road-tripped and interviewed people throughout the 50 states. Check out their website for further engagements. Although the season premiere of House has come and gone, check out this video from the first episode’s gala in LA. Bridget O’Neill hosts and questions the stars of the “most popular show in the world” about the importance of social media in their lives. Filmed on location and edited by my friend, Joshua Johnson.